The storm finally passed by morning. Jay stepped out of the cave first. Behind him, Lina stretched, shaking off the frost that had gathered on her feline ears.
"Finally," she said. "I thought we'd be trapped forever."
Jay smiled. "At least we're still in one piece."
Lina's stomach growled. "We haven't eaten since before the storm."
"Yeah," Jay said. "We should find something."
Lina sniffed the air once, twice, and her tail twitched. "There's a scent. Deer, I think, about a mile north."
Jay blinked. "You can tell that far?"
She grinned. "Demihuman senses, remember?" Then she started walking, light-footed and confident. Jay followed close behind.
The forest thickened as they advanced. Soon, Lina raised a hand to signal him to stop. She crouched low while her sharp eyes caught movement in the distance.
"There," she whispered. About a hundred meters ahead, a lone deer walked near a frozen lake.
"I'll take it from here," Lina said, turning her head toward Jay. "Stay low and quiet."
Jay nodded, staying hidden behind the bushes.
Lina moved forward, each step lighter than falling snow. Even as Jay strained his senses, he could barely hear her breathing. Her movement was fluid, smooth, calculated, like a predator stalking its prey.
When she was close enough, she leapt.
A sharp sound. Then silence.
The deer fell instantly, a single clean strike from her claw across the head. Blood stained the snow.
Jay stood, watching from afar. Her speed and precision left him speechless. Could I have avoided that? he wondered. He was reminded of Mozar's words, how demihumans surpassed humans in raw physicality. Jay clenched his fist. He had power, yes, but against that kind of natural grace and ferocity…would it be enough?
Lina dragged the deer back with ease. "Lunch's ready," she said proudly.
Jay chuckled. "You make it look easy."
"Practice," she said simply, setting the deer down. "Now we need firewood."
Jay nodded and went to gather what he could, dry branches and broken logs lying near the base of the trees. When he returned, Lina was already skinning the deer with deft precision.
"Alright," she said, glancing up. "You start the fire."
Jay frowned. "Uh… right. Shouldn't be that hard, right?"
It was.
He struggled for several minutes, trying to spark the tinder using flint and steel. The smoke teased him, rising and dying before any flame could set in. Lina watched quietly, arms crossed and expression somewhere between amusement and pity.
"Need help?" she asked at last while slightly grinning.
"No," Jay said stubbornly. "I've got it."
Moments later, a faint flame flickered to life. Jay leaned back, triumphant. "See? Told you."
Lina laughed softly. "Not bad."
They roasted the meat carefully over the fire. Then they ate it. Its taste was otherwordly.
They sat in silence for a while, watching the flames flickering.
Jay was about to speak when Lina's ears twitched. She froze, eyes narrowing.
"What is it?" Jay asked quietly.
"Movement," she whispered. "Coming this way. Several of them."
Jay stood, prepared to enter his fighting stance.
Moments later, figures emerged from the tree line, humans, wrapped in thick furs, their faces half-covered by bone and leather masks. They carried spears tipped with sharpened ice.
The one in front raised a hand. "Sorry if we startled you," the man said in a deep and calm voice. "We saw the smoke from your fire."
Jay relaxed slightly but didn't lower his guard. "Who are you?"
The man exchanged a glance with his companions. "We are the Nutiks. Our tribe lives in a village not far from here, beyond the ridge."
Lina stepped forward with curiosity. "What brings you here?"
The leader hesitated, then spoke gravely. "A creature. A massive one. It's been attacking our herds, our hunters…even our homes. Many have died trying to drive it off."
Jay frowned. "A beast problem?"
The man nodded. "We've tried everything, fire, traps, poison. Nothing worked. It comes from the mountains every few days, always at night. We thought maybe you two could help us."
Lina raised an eyebrow. "Why us?"
"You survived that storm, right? That means something" another tribesman said. "We need any help we can, and you two look strong as well."
The leader added, "If you can slay the creature, we'll reward you with anything in our capability. Food, shelter, supplies for your journey."
Lina looked at Jay, her expression unreadable. "What do you think?"
Jay considered their words. He could see the sincerity in their eyes, fear, but also hope. These weren't soldiers or bandits. They were survivors trying to protect their people.
Finally, he nodded. "Alright. We'll help."
Relief washed over their faces. The leader bowed slightly. "Thank you, traveler. The spirits will remember this."
He gestured toward the north, where the mountains rose like teeth against the sky. "Come. We'll show you the way."
Jay turned to Lina, who was already putting out the fire.
"Guess training can wait a little longer," she said with a small grin.
Jay adjusted his cloak and followed the Nutiks into the cold. The wind picked up again.
Somewhere in the distance, a deep roar echoed between the peaks.